Wherea could I find information on the "Maguire Company". Not listed in the directories, seems to have been a company of the family of Thomas Maguire (1810-1887) and is listed in the wills of his children (Thomas, Samuel etc.) Still in existance in the 1930's.

Thanks Barbara

-- Barbara Smith (bjsmith461Q@aol.com), November 22, 2004

Answers

Barbara--

Tom Maguire's opera house was one of the original San Francisco institutions in the 1850-1860s. He had locations on Kearny, Pine and Washington.

Do you anything about Maguire (1810-1887). Where he was born? Died? What about this "still in existance in the 1930s" Where?

Good Luck in your research.

-- (iversenk@aol.com), November 22, 2004.

The things I know about Thomas Maguire are that he came from New York City during the gold rush and made it big as a casino operator in San Francisco. But he wanted more than that and had a big passion for theater so he opened up a theater. More than six of his theaters burned down with all the fires that happened in the city's early history. He was married twice after his first wife who came with him from New York died in San Francisco. Because of the many fires San Francisco had, many of the records he may have kept were surely burned. Plus, he couldn't read or write so it would have been more difficult for him to keep records as he would have had to hire someone to do so. If there are any personal records in existance then they would probably be somewhere in New York City because that is where he spent the last years of his life.

-- Harry Murphy (harrymurphy*@bigmailbox.net), November 22, 2004.

He certainly had wonderful taste, the opera house be built in Virginia City was considered one of the most beautiful in the west. John Piper began purchasing it in 1864 and completed the the purchase by 67. Although Maguire may not have learned to read or write, he certainly brought some of the greatest theatrical performers and opera stars to the west and introduced grand opera to the west in 1868 with Parepa Rose's company.

-- Andria Daley (asdwrldesign@sbcglobal.net), January 26, 2005.

Sorry, this isn't an answer as such, but some, perhaps, interesting information. I am in the (southern) state of Victoria, Australia and doing some research on Dunolly, a small town close by. Anyway, in November, 1869 as part of the Prince of Wales birthday celebrations, Dunolly played host to EASTON & BUSEY'S SABLE TROUPE, from MAGUIRE'S OPERA HOUSE SAN FRANCISCO! How amazing that they travelled so far from home to perform! If anyone knows more about them, I'd like to know.

-- Mellissa Conn (mell7@iprimus.com.au), February 18, 2005.